I liked the decision, but didn't like the call. Even against Seattle's awesome run defense in a goal line formation, it's really hard to defend the run from half a yard out. Carolina has good running backs too.

kearly wrote:I liked the decision, but didn't like the call. Even against Seattle's awesome run defense in a goal line formation, it's really hard to defend the run from half a yard out. Carolina has good running backs too.

It was absolutely the right call. 4th and 1 gets converted an average of 68% of the time in the NFL. Mathematically there's a significant edge to trying to get the extra four points then and there.

Even if you assume that the strength of our defense pushes their odds down from being a 2:1 favorite to make it in to being something worse, they'd actually have to be worse than a 2:1 dog to get in for it to be a wrong decision. There's no way they were that.

It was a bonehead play by Newton. The cardinal rule in a 4th down situation (such as this)is to put the ball where your receiver has a chance. Even if the play ends with an INT. Instead, Newton, perhaps more concerned with his stats or just momentarily stupid, threw the ball into the turf.

I actually liked the play call and had he zipped the ball in there like a big league QB might do, he likely would have completed it. "Superman" is still more show than go and our Hawks exposed, and exploited that, today. YAHTZEE!

MidwestHawker wrote:It was absolutely the right call. 4th and 1 gets converted an average of 68% of the time in the NFL. Mathematically there's a significant edge to trying to get the extra four points then and there.

Even if you assume that the strength of our defense pushes their odds down from being a 2:1 favorite to make it in to being something worse, they'd actually have to be worse than a 2:1 dog to get in for it to be a wrong decision. There's no way they were that.

Going for the TD was 100% the right call. It's not even close to a kicking situation. The play call was horrible, though. They have a 6'6" athletic freak at QB. Snap the ball, jump to the top of the pile, and stick the ball forward, and they score almost always. Instead they chose to roll out and try to throw into arguably the league's best coverage defense.

MidwestHawker wrote:It was absolutely the right call. 4th and 1 gets converted an average of 68% of the time in the NFL...

Completely agree. Throw in the fact that it very nearly worked and I think it was obviously the right call. They needed six points, not three. Going for it on 4th down pinned us at our own 1, and had Lynch not turned on Beast Mode to pick up the first down on 3rd and 7, they were looking at some very good field position after a punt. Otherwise they kick a FG, (ideally) force a 3-and-out, and get the ball back near their own 10 with ~1:60 remaining and no timeouts. Given that we didn't have a 3-and-out all day, not a great plan.

In the same situation, I'd rather take my chance with a play I know my team should convert than put the game in the other team's hands.